H-E-B continues its path toward becoming a dominant force in the digital retail space, announcing that it has signed a long-term lease for a building in East Austin. The largest privately-held employer in Texas will develop a world-class tech facility and innovation lab for its growing H-E-B Digital team and Favor, the Austin-based on-demand delivery service that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of H-E-B.

Set for completion in spring 2019, H-E-B will turn the recently renovated industrial warehouse into a creative and collaborative workspace for Austin-based Partners (employees) of the H-E-B Digital team and Favor’s corporate headquarters. H-E-B also has a strong technology and digital presence at its corporate headquarters in San Antonio and will continue to grow its digital team in both cities.

H-E-B enlisted HPI Corporate Services as its tenant broker and has engaged global architecture firm, IA Interior Architects, to fully customize the two-story, 81,000 square-foot facility. Located at 2416 East Sixth Street, the property is walking distance to several amenities such as restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and the 7th Street H-E-B store.

“This state-of-the-art space will be a hub for creativity and innovation as we continue to develop the ultimate digital experience for our customers,” said Jag Bath, H-E-B Chief Digital Officer and Favor CEO and President. “Bringing H-E-B and Favor closer together will allow us to promote collaboration between our two companies as we strengthen our commitment to building out H-E-B’s omnichannel services.”

With this expanded Austin footprint, H-E-B and Favor plan to add several hundred jobs to the local economy and are actively hiring across all areas of expertise, including product management, product design, and software engineering. Career opportunities can be found on the H-E-B and Favor websites.

This year, H-E-B has made a series of announcements and strategic technology investments to further establish the company as a technology leader in Texas, including the acquisition of Favor, the appointment of Bath as H-E-B’s Chief Digital Officer, and the recent addition of Mike Georgoff as Chief Product Officer for H-E-B Digital. In addition, H-E-B continues to enhance its digital offerings with the expansion of its H-E-B Delivery and H-E-B Curbside service, which is available in more than 145 locations across the Lone Star State and is on track to reach 165 stores in 2018.